FIFA World Cup 2026: FIFA World Cup 2026 has now reached its most exciting phase. After the group stage is over, the tournament has now entered the knockout stage. Here the journey of the losing team will end immediately, while the winning team will proceed towards the quarter-finals. This time, 48 teams are participating in the World Cup for the first time. A total of 104 matches are being played in the tournament and it is being hosted jointly by America, Canada and Mexico. Many exciting matches and big upsets were seen in the Round of 32 matches, after which the picture of the last 16 has become almost completely clear.
Many big upsets in Round of 32
In the first round of knockout, some teams were eliminated who were expected to go further. Germany was eliminated from the tournament after being defeated by Paraguay in the penalty shootout. Morocco also surprised everyone by defeating Netherlands in the penalty shootout. Host Canada defeated South Africa 1-0 and made it to the last-16. Brazil beat Japan 2–1, while France had a comfortable 3–0 win against Sweden. Apart from this, Norway defeated Ivory Coast 2-1. Mexico beat Ecuador 2-0 and England beat DR Congo 2-1 to reach the next round. The United States beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0, while Belgium beat Senegal 3-2 in extra time to book a place in the last 16. Portugal beat Croatia 2–1 and Spain beat Austria 3–0. Switzerland entered the next round by defeating Algeria 2-0. However, the matches of Argentina vs Cape Verde, Colombia vs Ghana and Australia vs Egypt are yet to be played.
There will be exciting matches in the last 16
Now many great matches will be seen in the last 16. Paraguay will face France. After defeating a strong team like Germany, Paraguay’s confidence has increased, while France looks to be in excellent form. There will also be an interesting match between hosts Canada and Morocco. Both the teams will enter the field with the dream of reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time. The clash between Brazil and Norway is also considered very important. In the match between Mexico and England, everyone’s attention will be on the strong attacking line of both the teams. A tough competition can also be seen between America and Belgium. Switzerland, on the other hand, will face the winner of Colombia and Ghana. The team of Argentina or Cape Verde will face Australia or Egypt. After the results of these matches are announced, the complete schedule of the last-16 will be decided.
All eyes on the clash between Ronaldo and Yamal
The biggest match of the last-16 is being considered between Portugal and Spain. In this match, experienced star Cristiano Ronaldo and young Spanish player Lamin Yamal will be face to face. Ronaldo performed brilliantly against Croatia and led his team to victory. On the other hand, Yamal gave an easy victory to Spain by showing an excellent game against Austria. In such a situation, this contest is being seen as a clash of experience and youthful enthusiasm.
The road to quarter finals will be difficult
The teams that win the last 16 will reach the quarter-finals, where the matches will be even more difficult. After this, semi-finals, third place match and finally the final will be played. Now every team has only one goal in front of them – to win every match and reach the trophy. Even a single defeat in the knockout stage can end a team’s journey. Teams like Brazil, France, England, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium and host America are considered strong contenders for the title. At the same time, teams like Canada, Morocco and Paraguay have also shown the ability to cause big upsets with their excellent performances. As the tournament progresses, the excitement of the matches will also increase. Now the eyes of football fans are fixed on the last-16, where every match is being considered no less than a final.
